In an inkjet printer, a printhead includes a plurality of jetting modules, each jetting module having a nozzle face in the form of a long narrow rectangular plate with a nozzle array, through which a liquid (e.g., ink) is jetted. When the printhead is not in use, liquid in the nozzle array may dry or attract dust and other contaminants, which can lead to clogging, resulting in decreased print quality, or printhead failure. Typically, when the printhead is not in use, it is moved to a maintenance station that removes the liquid, and other contaminates, so as to minimize the likelihood of clogging or failure.
The maintenance station will generally include the following components, at a minimum: a capping unit, a valve, and a waste tank. The capping unit engages the printhead nozzle face, providing a seal around the nozzle array. The valve is then opened, and a negative pressure from the capping unit or positive pressure from the printhead is applied, causing liquid to flow from the nozzles, which flushes dried ink, dust or other contamination (i.e., waste liquid) from the nozzles. The waste liquid is then transported to the waste tank.
However, the maintenance station components, specifically, orifices at connection points, are subject to fouling from the contamination removed from the printhead. This fouling can be more prevalent when the liquid jetted from the printhead is an ink containing a magnetic pigment, which is used in magnetic ink character recognition (MICR).
As such, there is an ongoing need for a maintenance station, having a reduced risk of becoming contaminated, which effectively removes liquid, dust, and other contaminants from a printhead.